Early this morning, about 1 am Pacific Standard Time, the New Moon phase began. At this stage the Moon is very close to the Sun, so close in fact it does not cast a reflection of the Sun’s light and is not visible to us. It is the new beginning, the first chapter in a book, the first step in a direction, the fresh start. The territory is unknown as one cannot see what lies before them. The potential to create is at a peak since there is essentially a blank slate, a time we can plant in the dark soil underground a seed. This seed contains our wishes, our intentions, and our thoughts that will grow into bloom at Full Moon’s light. This tiny egg we create can bring something into our lives or it can be to release something not serving our highest good. It depends on our thoughts, words, actions, motivations, energy, and what we as creative beings call in. This month the Sun is in Cancer giving us a New Moon in Cancer and a Full Moon in Capricorn. The sign of Cancer is about embracing the full range of feelings we experience as humans and in that emotional experience always keeping an open heart. We associate Cancer with the Crab who has a hard outer shell which protects the soft and tender, vulnerable inside. As the Crab outgrows the armor and deepens its trust in what it feels, expanding and opening the heart, it sheds and releases its coating of protection. It builds another layer to keep it safe but this new layer has a more compassionate heart behind it. If the crab is wounded by feelings, it may scuttle away and close down the heart. So for each of you, engaging in this phase, we have the opportunity engage with our heart. Is our heart in need of releasing past hurts that have closed us off to our emotional world? Or are we in a place of feeling secure with great love that we want to give ourselves the opportunity to deepen emotionally? Does our heart feel expanded or restricted? This is a time to write down your intentions on that blank chalkboard, tell the universe what you are seeking, what you are feeling, and ask for what would help and heal your heart. Is it letting go of love, calling in love, or both? We can always have more love for ourselves. So light a candle, meditate, inviting in the stillness, focusing on your beating heart, listening to its rhythm and opening up the imagination to unlimited possibilities from Mother Moon. End this ritual with gratitude as if what has been put forth has already come into fruition. When the Full Moon comes in 2 weeks, this seed will bloom manifesting what you intended when planting that seed. Love and blessings to all.

A day of curiosity, chatting and mental stimulation as the Gemini Twins rule the Moon today. The Moon is met by Venus who recently entered Gemini, the Planet known for what we find attractive, how we find peace, and how we relate. As Gemini is the 1st Air sign of the Zodiac Wheel, it is said to have a youthful quality likened to playful children whose primary question can be "Why?". Not seeking long theoretical explanations, but more quick, factual based answers, it is a good day to approach life with childhood inquisitiveness. Keeping the mind fresh and open to new ways of receiving and conveying information is supported. As we grow up, we start to form certain perceptions about our world, not questioning life as much, in order to take on greater levels of responsibility and function independently. With Venus and the Moon joining together today in the spirit of inquiry, we are given an opportunity to explore like a child. Through this open mind, we may discover new attractions, new ideas, and some new experience what pleases us. Neptune is tapping Venus and the Moon on the shoulder to let go, have faith, follow the synchronicity and dissolve our conditioned responses and certain realities. Mercury, also on the Gemini bandwagon is spinning backward focusing us on inward chatter and inquiry, so pay attention to the thoughts that cross your mind as you approach the world with wonder and amazement.

The longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere is today as the Sun shines it's light for the greatest number of hours. The Earth is on a tilted axis leaning towards the Sun resulting in a brilliance of light upon the land. As we move from the darkest day of the year when Winter Solstice occurs six months prior, we slowly build more and more light each day until the fullness of this cycle occurs at Summer Solstice. As we come from light and we are light bodies, this is cause for a celebration. This blossoming of the Sun can be likened to the Full Moon as the apex of it's presence occurs today. The Sun gives people their vitality so connecting with the Sun and drawing in it's energy feels pretty darn good. We live in a Solar (Sun) System which is so dependent on the Solar energy for life to be possible. In the spiritual sense, this can be likened to enlightenment as the pinnacle of connection to Source.

The Sun moves into the sign of Cancer. We often associate the Sun with Father, and the nurturing, sensitive, and protective qualities of Cancer, the ruler of the Moon, with the Mother. This is a culmination of much Yang energy with the complementary balance of and Yin or Moon energy. As the day begins with the courageous Aries Moon in its last degrees, we are invited to feel that strong, fearless, bold energy in our hearts and leap into the unknown following our intuitive nature. The Moon is offered messages from all of Mercury's inward thoughts which may help guide the heart. Jupiter connects with the Moon with some tension as Jupiter in Cancer wants to caution the Aries Moon from getting too carried away with blindly forging ahead and advises the Moon to do so with vigor but also some caution, sensitivity, and protection.

Towards the evening the Moon will enter into Taurus where it likes to rest and slow down and savor in the sensual aspects of experience. This supports Venus' latest mission in Taurus emphasizing the five senses and honoring our survival animal instincts by approaching life moment to moment. Eating when one is hungry, sleeping when one is tired, listening to natural and environmental sounds, taking in the visual experience, and using the voice to express are good ways to tap in to the animal within.

The Moon is in it's last quarter phase as it recedes gently from the Full Moon illumination to the black, invisible New Moon coming up on June 27. We are invited to review what has occurred since we set our intentions at the New Moon on May 28th and the blossoming at Full Moon on June 12th. At this phase we are squaring the Sun which can cause some tension between our ego and our emotions. Our outward force of expression is struggling as it feels pressure to also incorporate our emotional dilemmas. We want to push forward with our egos and all the mental activity created by the Gemini Sun and Mercury who are very close to each other. However, we are being tapped on the shoulder to pay attention to our hearts, our emotions, our reflexive selves characteristic of the lunar experience. The day starts with the Moon in Pisces whose ultimate mission is to open the heart to compassion and love for all whether that be the homeless person on the corner, the neighbor downstairs who won't turn off the rock and roll until 3 am, the friend who stole money from us, or the boss who keeps pushing you without any appreciation. In the afternoon, the Moon moves into Aries. Aries Moon is ruled by Mars, the god of war, so we can imagine where this may be heading. Aries has great courage as this is what is required when one decides to engage in battle. In addition, moving slowly is not recommended on the battlefield if one wants to survive so Aries can have a swiftness about it as it strives to act quickly. With Mercury retrograde causing some delays, miscommunications, and issues with getting around, we can see how these two energies may have some potential conflicts. As you may feel rushed in the afternoon, stay with the racing heart, and prepare by bringing along some ways to burn your energy that wants to forge ahead and you find yourself in the waiting room. Use your courage to chat to those around you, listen to music and bounce to the beat, play sudoku or just give in and bang your head. But we all know, bruised heads don't feel too good. A great day to do some physical activity to work out and balance the mental and physical energy.

The Pisces Moon is sandwiched between Neptune and Chiron today. Neptune rules Pisces and entered this sign in August of 2010. He will hang out in Pisces for 15 years ending in April of 2025! This is a significant timeframe. Unlike the Moon which changes signs every 2 days or so, outer planets such as Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn move more slowly. Neptune is known for altered states of consciousness whether that be through spiritual connection, dreams, visions, meditation, popping a pill or zoning out in front of the television. Whatever takes you out of your 3D reality and into a mesmerized or blissful state of connection to something greater. Neptune, known for causing confusion and delusion at times, can be ineffable or difficult to describe in words experiences that are intangible and transcendent The opportunity here for all of us is to develop our faith and connection to the greater cosmos, the spirit world, and our ancestors. This can make people feel that they need to go to church, adopt a religion or feel guilt for not following their said religion. But that is not the point. The point is to recognize yourself as coming from a divine, loving source where you are born the embodiment of perfection, a miracle of creation. As we go through difficult and trying times in life, this connection and our willingness to surrender can become so critical for our healing. Over the past few years, people may have commented that the veil between us and the spirit world feels thinner, easier to access, and indeed it is with Neptune lending a helping hand. Meditation has always been popular however lately it is experiencing quite a resurgence as those still moments access parts of the brain primed for tuning in and calming the ego. The shadow in this placement can be people choosing to "check out" as we see an increase in drug use whether it be prescribed, legal or illegal or any other type of addiction- shopping, eating, even being glued to our cell phones. So use this opportunity as is best for you.

Chiron is called the "wounded healer" as it characterizes a wound we have at birth. In the process of healing our wound, we become healers who are able to heal ourselves and others with that gift. Universally, we are healing the wound of spiritual dogma and power driven religions. The belief in a guru or a person outside of us who holds the power to connect to divinity, something we cannot obtain on our own. As people start to wake up to the god within that does not require an outside person to enable our connection to the creator, we begin to empower ourselves and heal.

As the Moon in Pisces plugs in to this transcendent energy field, it is anchored by Saturn. Saturn rules the physical world and concrete reality, sometimes referred to as the taskmaster, authoritarian and teacher. It is helping to keep the balance between drifting off into Pisces bliss and rooting us here on Earth. Saturn keeps us grounded and centered as we explore the great flow and teachings from the cosmos and beyond.

Mercury spins back into Gemini today from Cancer. This can take us from our internal emotional feelings that are so familiar for the Cancer archetype to an internal, mental landscape of our thoughts. Mercury knows Gemini well as that is it's ruler or natural placement. Gemini's great skill in fluttering about collecting and dispersing information leads it to be very comfortable in the quick, fast paced Planet Mercury. It is retrograde which means when we look from Earth it appears to be going backwards and can throw off our travel and communication. We may need to slow down and repeat ourselves, as well as leave a little extra time to get where we want to go. While these practices can be frustrating at times, if we open to an internal awareness, and even stop to smell the roses, we may receive some messages or new information from Mercury. As the extremely important and trusted messenger of the gods, with his winged feet, he travels safely into the underworld escorting souls. Left to his own devices, without people listening to his messages, he can get bored and become a little prankster. So try to tune in and slow down, listening to your internal thoughts with the knowledge that they may be quite active but between the banter, there could be an important insight for you.

As the Moon moves into watery Pisces today, we may feel a connection to the god of our understanding. A synchronistic intimate connection to the world beyond us in which spirit has the reigns. If we can let go of our need to be realists who are logical and practical, and surrender to the flow of our consciousness, we may experience moments of peace that lead us to into states of bliss and oneness with all. Neptune and the Moon will meet today helping us to tap in with our cosmic antennas to the to the spirit world from which one day we will be called home.

We may have felt some pulls at our heart strings with the past Full Moon in Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter who is in watery, emotional, maternal, and sensitive Cancer. A bloom of emotion may have sprouted. Now we can engage our mental acumen to sort through and balance the heart and the mind with spirit.

So the stage is set to go within and surrender the ego. Some people do this through meditation. Even as simple as tuning into your breath, taking longer exhales and deeper inhales, you send a message to your body that everything's going to be alright.